NASA to Cover Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Spacecraft Departure

iss074e0458241 (April 13, 2026) --- Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft rests at its capture point, 12 meters from the International Space Station, as the Canadarm2 robotic arm prepares to grapple the resupply ship. Cygnus XL delivered more than 11,000 pounds of new science experiments, lab hardware, and crew supplies for the Expedition 74 crew.

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft rests at its capture point on April 13, 2026, 12 meters from the International Space Station, as the Canadarm2 robotic arm prepares to grapple the resupply ship.

Credit: NASA/Jessica Meir

After delivering more than 11,000 pounds of supplies, science experiments, and other cargo to the International Space Station for NASA, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft is scheduled to depart Friday, Oct. 9, as part of the company’s Commercial Resupply Services-24 mission, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24.

Watch NASA’s live coverage of undocking and departure beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Flight controllers on the ground will send commands for the space station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detach the Cygnus XL spacecraft from the Unity module’s Earth-facing port and maneuver it into position for release at 12:45 p.m. NASA astronaut Luke Delaney will monitor the operation from aboard the orbital complex.

Loaded with thousands of pounds of disposal items and other unneeded cargo, Cygnus XL will deorbit Sunday, Oct. 11, for a destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, where it will safely burn up. NASA will not provide coverage of the spacecraft’s deorbit.

The resupply spacecraft launched on April 11 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Learn more about this NASA commercial resupply mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-northrop-grumman-crs-24/

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Josh Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov